Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-07-28

room was wet from overflow from the
water-closets over head. 1t is alleged
that the water from which the Jail is
supplied, to-wit, that of the Citizens
Water Co., is full of trash, sediment,
ETC., that cause the pipes to become
choked up. Whatever the cause, it is
plain that the authorities should not
tolerate state of affairs that, if con-
tinued, must endanger the health of
the occupants of the building and ruin
the walls and ceiling of the room
where the leakage existed at the time
of our visit. The attention of the
Supervisors was Immediately called
to the matter. We also found the
ground around the walls of the jail not
in good condition. We talked with
the prisoners, none of whom had any
serious complaints to offer as to treat
ment. We inspected their food quail
ties, etc, and found them satisfactory.
Indeed, it might be question whether
the quality and variety of food fur
nished are not so attractive to vagrants
that they may seek to board there at
the taxpayers expense. Penology
teaches that the food of criminals
should be wholesome but very plain.
The same maxim is equ lily appli-
cable to the quarters provided for
them, which should be of the very
best. Corrective results are desired,
not luxurious but clean, well ventilated
and very plain. The location of the
iail on the outward side of the Court
house hill, the facilities for
thorough ventilation and the means
for maintaining cleanliness within
and without the building are all ad-
mirable. Among the prisoners were
one or two young men under age.
We can only repeat and emphasize
what has often been strongly urged
before that this community, if it de-
sires to be considered enlightened and
humane, should, and that without fur
ther delay, make separate provision
for the care of juvenile offenders apart
from old criminals. The city Jail, We
found, Is poorly constructed build
ing, disgrace to the architect and to
the city, and this new addition,
though better ventilated, is still poor
ly constructed from top to bottom.
The dark cells are dangerous, with
scarcely any means for the circulation
of fresh air. 1t seems wise and right
that prisoners who refuse to work
should be placed in solitary confine-
ment, but they should have plenty OF
fresh air; that they should be kept on
bread and water also seems proper,
but if this discipline in given case
is continued for many months there
should be some variation in the diet,
so that the health of even q stubborn
prisoner should not suffer through any
fault of the city or Of the community.
An incorrigible who will persistently
refuse to work, should have fresh air,
if not light and enough variation OF
the plainest diet to preserve health,
i. e., if he gets sick that it shall not be
the fault of the community. One
prisoner in the city jail, worthless
vagabond according to the re-
port OF the police, for refusing to
work had been confined under
sentence, in one of the suffocating
cells, in bread and water, more than
eighty days, and he claimed that he
was growing weak. Nevertheless, he
had the option at any time of going to
work and getting out of that cell and
faring as other prisoners did. We
find the weight of words OF His Honor,
the Judge, in regard to the unsafe
condition, in case of fire, of the public
records, timely and fully justified.
Only part of the record books are or
can be kept in the vault; moreover,
these books are increasing rapidly, or
at the rate of about thirty a month, or
one a day. We learn from the Super
visors that there is no likelihood that
the new Court House, or any portion
OF it, will be ready for occupancy
inside ten months, and possibly not
within twelve or eighteen months.
We therefore recommend that, when
the advertisement for the new Court
House is given out, that special pro-
vision be made therein tor the erec-
tion at once of the Hall of Records,
whereby the public archives, in which
every property-holder is interested,
may be made secure, at the earliest
possible moment.
B. Conn,
| HIRAM HAMILTON,
| III. ID. BARRows.
THE EXPERT ON THE COUNTY AUDITOR.
| would beg leave to report as to
the County Auditor. He is the key
note to all county offices, but that note
is out of tune. Two years ago his
books were in good shape; to-day they
are in miserable condition. Eras-
ures of all kinds, moneys, transferred
from one fund to another which are
wrong, and subsequently have been
rectified, He handles no money, and
as far as l can possibly find and have
made test cases, his books agree with
the County Treasurer's books, which
they should do, being fac SMILES of
each other. He states to me in ex-
tenuation of these erasures, interlinea-
tons and trademarks that his work
was so excessive that he was COM
PEELED to employ bookkeeper. He
did so. and got good one. His road
fund books are not correct, individ-
ually; in the aggregate they are; but
yet such state of affairs should not
exist. If the County Auditor cannot
be as he should be-the accountant
for the county-better have none, and
make it free race for all. He states
that he has fully footed up the various
amounts collected by the different Of
ficials of this county, as his signature
shows, but know better, as the vari-
Gus clerical errors will show. AS l
embodied in my report as to
the Tax Collector: If he had
done his duty this defalcation
of Hammond would have been found
on January 8, 1887. l do not presume
to dictate to you or to tell you the acts
required of the County Auditor, but if
he will only do his duty as required by
law, no official can default excepting
as to the amount of one months fees
or receipts. trust that you may
place the onus of these various errors
and corrections upon the facts that the
business of the county is increasing
| raDidlv and that vO1r County Auditor